CU Denver Business School Names Scott Dawson as its New Dean

The University of Colorado Denver today announced the appointment of Scott Dawson, PhD, as the Dean of the CU Denver Business School. Dawson was selected after a nationwide search and will begin his role on July 1.

In his role as dean, Dawson will focus on student success and creating a strategy to elevate the school’s program quality and success. Eager to return to an urban serving business school, CU Denver is the perfect fit for Dawson as he hopes to connect with the Denver community at large, bolstering industry partnerships and more.

“I am honored to work with my future colleagues in the Business School, across the campus, and in the community to make an important impact on the economic and social vitality of the region,” Dawson said. “Returning to an urban-serving university has been a dream, and Denver is one of the most vibrant and dynamic cities in the country.”

Over the course of his higher education career, Dawson has been focused on student success. During his time as the Dean of California Polytechnic State University’s College of Business, the College achieved a 78% four-year graduation rate and a 96%-rate of students employed or enrolled in graduate programs at the time of graduation.

“Dr. Dawson brings extensive knowledge of higher education, as a faculty member and through his most recent role as dean of Cal Poly’s Business School,” Roderick Nairn, PhD, Provost at CU Denver said. “CU Denver will greatly benefit from his expertise both leading the Business School and advancing our role as a public urban research university.”

After completing his MBA and PhD in Marketing from the University of Arizona, Dawson started his academic career at Louisiana State University before returning to his hometown to join the faculty at the School of Business at Portland State University (PSU). After spending 29 years at PSU, he went on to serve as the Dean at Orfalea College of Business, California Polytechnic State University for six years. At Cal Poly, he created a new diversity & inclusion advisory council and a business analytics advisory board.

To learn more about the CU Denver Business School, click here.